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Camino Lebaniego Castellano
  • Laurie Reynolds
  • Laurie Reynolds

Camino Lebaniego Castellano

A 27-day adventure by Laurie Read more
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  • Trip start
    April 30, 2026
    Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds
    6Under 9 pounds without good and water but with the hiking poles!
    Advertising for this movie is all over this airport!

    Travel Day

    April 30 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    I got up at 2 a.m. to do my elliptical workout so that I would be very sleepy for my transatlantic flight later today. I always used to do this on my camino travel day, but fell out of the habit. I recently realized that my only majorly bad travel days (like forgetting my passport, forgetting my green fleece, missing a connection) had been days that I hadn’t exercised. So I decided that since I needed all the good luck charms I could get, I had better reinstate the ritual.

    Since I had such a great camino last year in beautiful mountain areas, I landed on another mountainous walk for this year. I’ll start in Palencia, a small city about 250 km northwest of Madrid. The destination is the monastery of Santo Toribio, a medieval pilgrimage site in its own right, home of the largest piece of the lignum crucis, or so I’ve been told. I am hoping to continue on to the coast after that, and then spend a few days walking backwards on the Norte. 3 weeks is about the maximum I feel comfortable with, given things at home, so those longer Caminos may be a thing of the past.

    I packed my pack last night and am sure my camino friends will be glad to hear that I have finally moved on from the plastic bag method of packing. I got some stuff sacks and cotton laundry bags, thanks to some forum help. But one thing remains unchanged – my green fleece is heading out on its 26th camino.

    I am aware of how very lucky I am to be starting out yet again. At my age, I know that I can’t take anything for granted. I hope, if something bad happens, that I will be able to accept it and deal with it. But for now, I am eager to get going.

    All travel so far has been smooth. I made a 35 minute connection time in Chicago without having to even walk fast. I’m now in JFK, boarding the plane to Madrid. Not much to show in the way of pictures, but tomorrow —Palencia!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds
    122Never saw that before!11The "negrillo" opens his mouth when the guy on the right strikes the hour. In the cathedral???1123

    Madrid to Palencia

    May 1 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    I was able to sleep for about four hours on the plane after watching The Devil Wears Prada. I do love Meryl Streep. And now I am ready for the heavily advertised sequel!

    I had a couple of hours before my train, which left from Chamartín. Not exactly a great place to stroll around, but it was better than sitting in the station. And I did get over to the Plaza de Castilla for a good café con leche.

    The train from Madrid to Palencia takes only a little more than an hour, and by 12:30 I was in the tourist office. The nice woman working there helped me to make my list —
    the cathedral (with its amazing 7th century crypt, renovated in the 11th century), the archaeological museum, several Romanesque churches, and one of the oldest churches in Spain, San Juan de Baños, from the 7C, about 15 km out of town.

    I’ve spent several hours visiting some of the places, and after an excellent arugula/goat cheese/veggies salad, I went back to the cathedral to take the rooftop tour. Palencia is like so many other small Castilian cities— a smattering of important historic sites, some beautiful old buildings on pedestrianized streets, and a population that loves to stroll through downtown in the afternoon and early evening while engaged in lively conversation.

    When you see a line outside a bar waiting for it to open, it’s a pretty good guess that there will be good tapas. And there were! Bar Moño.

    My goal is to stay up till 10, and I’m within eight minutes of my goal, so I am going to bed. Hoping not to wake up in the middle of the night.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds
    543My table for one.3

    Day in Palencia

    May 2 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Because yesterday was a holiday, I couldn’t get my Spanish SIM card. So that means spending another day in this nice little city.

    I also needed to get fruit and water for walking, sunscreen, and stamps to send postcards home to my grandkids. All of that was easy to do on the city’s Calle Mayor.

    In late morning, I took a taxi to the 7th century church in Baños de Cerrato, built in 661 by a Visigothic king. Many sources say that it is the oldest church in Spain. King Recesvinto had just defeated the vascones, a fierce Iberian tribe (from whom the Basques descended), but was suffering from a kidney ailment. The curative waters in Baños de Cerrato took care of the problem, and he erected the church in gratitude. That’s one story, anyway.

    I was not expecting it to be so beautiful inside. The Roman columns with Visigothic capitals, with the cimacios above to equalize the height for the horseshoe arches on top, and oh those horseshoe arches. It was one of the most beautiful interiors I’ve ever seen in such an ancient church. The guide was a medieval historian, and since I was the only one there, I got a private tour. Plus, lots of quiet time just sitting and contemplating. It was really something.

    I am very glad that I made a reservation for this afternoon’s lunch from home. Everything is overbooked on this holiday weekend – yesterday was May 1, and tomorrow is Mother’s Day. I did a bit of research and found San Remo— out of the center so I would walk around a new part of town. Totally unassuming, but wow! I think this is the best sea bass I’ve ever had. And very glad to have a 45 minute walk back to my hotel, it was overindulgence.

    The weather forecast is not great, very changeable. But I am very ready for this Camino to begin, rain or no rain!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds
    1Two minutes from my hotel and I am walking along the Canal de Castilla.
    4I always see at least a few wild irises on my camino!1If I understood what the nice Spanish man told me, this was the starting point of construction.This marks the opening of the Canal, I think.1791.There are some very interesting figure in this doorway but I couldn't get close.1I think there's a law requiring these to come down, but I'm not sure.3Nati insisted on taking my picture. Nice place!13My supper place

    Long, flat, and wet

    May 3 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Palencia to Amusco, 33 km, 93m elevation.

    I left my hotel before seven and was in a nice Casa Rural here in Amusco before 3 PM. Things couldn’t have been any flatter, even if I was back home in East Central Illinois.

    It wasn’t the world‘s prettiest walk, and three hours of steady rain didn’t help it, but it was very interesting to see all of the locks and mechanical paraphernalia, as I walked along the Canal de Castilla. The canal is a late 1700s engineering marvel, whose original purpose was to connect the Meseta with the north of Spain, so that grain from the central area could be exported. More than 200 km of navigable waters were built in a Y shape. But soon after its inauguration, railroads became a predominant form of transport, leaving the canal with a primary function of irrigation. There were many abandoned buildings along the water, as well as a lot of mechanical installations. I didn’t understand any of it, but it was a nice interruption.

    I had a total of about three hours of rain, maybe a little more. Steady but never heavy. It was a perfect day for the Altus poncho, because I could easily whip it off and tuck the sleeves under my backpack straps. And then five minutes later, put it back on. For me, a rain jacket would have been a huge hassle in this situation.

    I am staying in a Casa Rural that is built above a 15C synagogue. Actually, it was built in the 13th or 14th century as a bodega, and then re-purposed in the 15 C as a synagogue. Wikipedia tells me that the town of Amusco once had a population of more than 300 Jewish people. Like so many small rural towns, Amusco seems to be in that familiar death spiral —school closed, butcher closed, one bar left. But the housing affordability crisis may have a silver lining, because there are a few young families who cannot afford to buy a house in the capital, and have moved here to fix something up.

    More canal tomorrow, but it’s a short day.

    https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/palencia-…    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds
    1111When we stayed here in 2000, this was the best Albergue on the whole Camino4

    Shorter, still flat, and dry

    May 4 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    A good day, but I will admit that I am looking forward to some elevation! Today’s walk was also completely along the Canal de Castilla. For the first 13 km, I was totally alone. But then in Frómista, I joined up with the Camino Francés. There were probably about 30 or 40 sitting in cafés or outside stores, but I seem to be the only one who went inside the church. I realize that I am in a very small cohort of people who love ancient churches, but come on. This is one of the true wonders of Romanesque, 11C.

    I had a good half hour there, where the capitals are really the main attraction. And the exterior is exquisite.

    Then came about 6 km “backwards“ on the Camino Francés. I started to count, but gave up at 60, and I was less than a kilometer out of town. So yes, it is very busy.

    I am staying in a small hotel owned by the Albergue owners in Boadilla. Eduardo, who was a young guy helping his mom when I first stayed in their albergue in 2000, is still here, as as his mom! They have turned this into a pretty big operation. The café restaurant is mobbed at 1 PM, and there are at least 25 suitcases sitting in the hallway while their owners saunter along to this place — luggage transport is everywhere on this Camino!

    My good camino friend Rebekah drove over from Moratinos to have lunch. It was really great to see her and catch up. Good for the soul.

    Tomorrow back to the Canal de Castilla and solitude.

    24 km, 39 m

    https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/amusco-to…    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds
    21You can't see the beautiful yellow irises.11An inspiration--serious physical challenges, but determined!

    Boadilla to Osorno

    May 5 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Boadilla to Osorno— 28 km, 98 m

    https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/boadilla-… -26285582

    Easy walk today, another flat day along the canal. No rain! No towns, no signs of human life except for the cultivated fields on both sides of the canal. I would say that about 75% of the walk was shaded, with chopos (Cottonwood), which must’ve had a million birds living in them. Sometimes there was a real concert, other times just a few chirping. But always birdsong.

    I thought a lot about my parents, remembering the summer after David was born, when we stayed with them in New Jersey while Joe went to Mexico. The connection was my memory that every evening, Katy and my dad would go sit out in the backyard and listen to the “cardinal concert.“ Walking a camino is a great time to remember things like this.

    I got to my destination early, and there were no signs of life at the albergue. I sent a WhatsApp and decided to walk out to the nearby dolmen, La Velilla. I had seen some of the artifacts from this site in the museum in Palencia. It is a megalithic necropolis, from about 3000 BC. At least 75 people were buried here. A good place to contemplate my mortality.

    On my way back into town, I crossed paths with a señora out for her daily walk. She walked very slowly, with two crutches. Much younger than I. We had a long chat, which was very inspiring to me. Every day, rain or shine, she walks this route. She is grateful to still be ambulatory, and says she will keep doing it until it’s no longer possible. No bitterness, no sadness, just happy to still be walking and alive. A really good message.

    When I got back to town, I still had no message from the albergue, so I decided to go to the little hotel in town. Perfectly fine, but I felt bad that I had told them that I was coming. They also felt bad, and they’ve invited me to dinner. I will probably just go by and say hi since I have had a big lunch. Longer day tomorrow, but still along the canal!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds

    Enough with the canal already!

    May 6 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 5 °C

    I can appreciate that this canal is an engineering marvel from the 18th century. I enjoy walking on mostly well drained packed dirt tracks. I love all the green fields, the constant singing of the birds, the really pretty yellow irises up and down on both sides. And all those locks are interesting. But this is my fourth day walking along it, and I admit, I am ready for some change of scenery.

    The weather was cool and nice, even though the weather apps were warned about rain. The day started out very foggy, which was good because parts along this stretch are unshaded.

    About 15 km in, lo and behold, I saw someone with a backpack walking towards me. This is the first person I have seen walking, except for that 5 km stretch two days ago on the Camino Francés. We stopped to chat for a while, compare Camino notes, talk about the weather, and get some intel about what was coming up for each of us. He was a Spanish guy just walking the Canal de Castilla start to finish, both branches, all 250 km of it. Yikes.

    I got to the pretty sad town of Herrera about 1:30. The mayor (I think) checked me in and left me with a key. At her suggestion, had a good late lunch in the Asador El Roble. I am all alone in the municipal albergue. Clean, ironed sheets, towels, lots of hot water. It’s got a washing machine, but even if I had soap to use, I cannot figure out what any of those dials are for. So hand washing it was. My clothes dried outside on a rack in between the albergue and the bus station. No one seemed to care.

    One new Spanish word I will never forget — eclusa.

    31 km, 56 m elevation, Osorno to Herrera de Pisuerga.

    https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/osorno-ac…    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds
    52

    Enough with the canal already!

    May 6 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    I can appreciate that this canal is an engineering marvel from the 18th century. I enjoy walking on mostly well drained packed dirt tracks. I love all the green fields, the constant singing of the birds, the really pretty yellow irises up and down on both sides. And all those locks are interesting. But this is my fourth day walking along it, and I admit, I am ready for some change of scenery.

    The weather was cool and nice, even though the weather apps were warned about rain. The day started out very foggy, which was good because parts along this stretch are unshaded.

    About 15 km in, lo and behold, I saw someone with a backpack walking towards me. This is the first person I have seen walking, except for that 5 km stretch two days ago on the Camino Francés. We stopped to chat for a while, compare Camino notes, talk about the weather, and get some intel about what was coming up for each of us. He was a Spanish guy just walking the Canal de Castilla start to finish, both branches, all 250 km of it. Yikes.

    I got to the pretty sad town of Herrera about 1:30. The mayor (I think) checked me in and left me with a key. At her suggestion, had a good late lunch in the Asador El Roble. I am all alone in the municipal albergue. Clean, ironed sheets, towels, lots of hot water. It’s got a washing machine, but even if I had soap to use, I cannot figure out what any of those dials are for. So hand washing it was. My clothes dried outside on a rack in between the albergue and the bus station. No one seemed to care.

    One new Spanish word I will never forget — eclusa.

    31 km, 56 m elevation, Osorno to Herrera de Pisuerga.

    https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/osorno-ac…    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds
    31121211

    Ditching the canal

    May 7 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    I had done a lot of research and knew that this part of the province of Palencia has a lot of Romanesque architecture. In fact, there is a string of churches, going from where I slept last night up to Cervera de Pisuerga, where I hope to arrive on Friday. But I would have to leave the canal! I plotted out a route to take me on minor roads, past 4 romanesque churches and a monastery. Four days walking on a straight path next to a canal was enough.

    I wouldn’t say that the first several hours were a smashing success. I started way too early, thinking that the monastery was 20 km away and opened at 10, only to learn that it was only 15 km away and didn’t open till 11. It was raining, I lost my spiffy new headlamp, and mapy took me to a water crossing that was way too deep and wide. That meant backtracking to a road and rerouting. For its next act, mapy then took me on a track with knee-high grasses (glad I had put on my tick repellant). But by 10, I was sitting on a bench in the sun at the monastery of San Andrés de Arroyo. Shoes and socks off, drying on the pavement.

    The day kept getting better. The monastery’s cloister is quite beautiful. The nun who took me around was in her 80s and told me she had lived here for more than 60 years. When she arrived, there were 55, now there are seven. They are cloistered, but for some reason she was able to give a tour.

    From there, I walked to another church, amazing façade, but the señora with the key was nowhere to be found. Then 3.5 road kms onto my destination, the Finca Santa Eufemia. This is an event center with a beautiful privately owned Romanesque church on the grounds. I got there in time for Juan’s last tour of the day. Then Maria showed up, and took me to my room.

    My tracks start about 2 km out of town. I stopped in a tunnel to put on my rain gear and my wikilocs stopped. It’s easy to find a track to take you these 2 km

    And this is the rest. Total about 26 with 225 m elevation

    https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/herrera-d…    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds
    3Perazancas
    1Río PisuergaSanta Eulalia11213

    Afternoon at Finca Eufemia

    May 7 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Ok, today I won the Romanesque lottery. The owner of the finca, Maria, took me out on a little jaunt before dinner.

    First stop, Perazancas, a town I will be walking through tomorrow. But the church, which has some 13C paintings, is 2 km outside of town. And the key is in the bar in town, so it would add 4 km to my walk.

    Then Maria took me on a circle drive. Into Cervera, to buy cheese from a cheese maker and some local cecina for our dinner. And then to a short river walk along the Pisuerga, with a good decaf in Salinas de Pisuerga.

    And then the pièces de résistance.
    Santa Eulalia, a little ermita up on a hill, overlooking the reservoir under which her town is buried. 12-13C, locked, but beautiful capitals, and a gorgeous setting.

    Then Santa Cecilia. The local priest has decided to leave the church unlocked, unheard of in my experience. It has an unusual raised altar, and with its simple barrel vaults with capitals in excellent condition, was just 5-star.

    By the time we got back, finished the tour of the finca, went to the third floor artist’s studio, and had our dinner of cheese, cecina, and a few other things “para picar”, it was 11pm. Not exactly Pilgrim hours, but as my mother used to say “I have all eternity to lie down.”

    I can’t imagine a fuller or more enjoyable day.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds
    1112314

    Into Cervera

    May 8 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    My choice to get back to the official Camino route was between a mapy 10k track or 7K on the road. Maria advised me that the track would have a couple of water crossings. No-brainer, I took the road. No traffic, cool, no sun.

    By 8 AM I was in Perazancas, which is where the Camino picks up. From there to Aguilar was about 19 K on a totally off-road track. Moderate ups and downs, tons of beautiful yellow flowers (piornos in Spanish), lots of views of the Montaña Palentina. No rain until I was about 20 minutes outside my destination. I can sense that the terrain change from flat to moderate has had an impact, and I think I’ll be slowing down for the next week or so!

    I ran into my very first peregrino. He is walking south from the coast, I’m heading north to the coast. We agreed that today’s walk was beautiful, but that we were both extremely grateful for the cloud cover. There is absolutely no shade on this entire walk, except for the last kilometer or two. It would be brutal on a sunny hot day.

    This camino joins the Olvidado a few kilometers before town, which means I went to the medieval rock chapel again. I have a new appreciation for this kind of structure, after my experience last summer on the Camino Viejo.

    I was in town with plenty of time to stock up on fruit (yay, Jerta cherries) and yogurt for the next few days. I’m just finishing an excellent lunch in the hotel dining room, and have another exciting side trip to go on in about an hour!

    Finca Santa Eufemia to Cervera
    26 km, 475 m
    https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/olmos-de-…    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds
    1

    Afternoon excursion from Cervera de Pisu

    May 8 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Last year on the Viejo, I had taken a detour to two medieval “rock churches”, ermitas rupestres. They had just mesmerized me – that simplicity, the work, the obvious devotion.

    Looking at the area around this year‘s Camino, I saw that there is a very big one of these ermitas not too far from where I ended up today, in Cervera de Pisuerga. It’s the church of Saint Justo and Saint Pastor.

    I found a very nice Taxi driver to take me there. The church has some really impressive and beautiful columns carved out of the rock, which provides a lot of evidence of the geological sequences in the area. But all in all, I would say that this church didn’t hit me like the others. There was a lot of 16th and 17th century statuary, retablos, altar decoration, etc., which I thought detracted from the simplicity of the structure itself. But it is still an active church, not just a tourist attraction.

    Since we were very close to a romanesque church built as part of a monastery in 1200, Santa Maria de Mave, I thought it was worth a quick trip over. It is a very beautiful church, Benedictine, unornamented, with beautiful arches. The monastery is mostly in ruins, with parts having been bought by a hotel chain, but the church still stands squeezed in there.

    I was really glad to have seen both of these places, and I’m now ready to have a quick bite to eat and head to bed. Still more rain in the forecast, and even some snow! I definitely should have brought some heavier clothing. I will be in a big town in a couple of days if it’s still cold. I have been lucky to have dodged most of the rain while walking, but it’s always prominently in the forecast. We’ll see whether it hits me tomorrow.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds
    1Trail almost flooded2Fossilized trees!11111

    Rain, hail, and thunderstorms

    May 9 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

    Cervera de Pisuerga to San Salvador de Cantamuda (with the Venganza del Conde loop trail)

    26 km, 850 m

    I left Cervera around 7, with a weather forecast that said dry till noon. HA!!! About a half hour in, the rain started. But once you’re wet, you’re not going to get any wetter, so I rolled along, past the Embalse, up and down some hills. As I was walking into San Salvador De Cantamuda, at about 11:30, the rain stopped. Perfect for a good visit at the beautiful Romanesque church.

    My plan had been to walk into this town, check into my Hostal, leave my pack, and take an 8 km walk on a well-known local trail, the revenge of the count! It goes up to the ruins of a castle where the count had expelled his wife because of his false accusation of infidelity. He sent her off on a lame and blind burro, accompanied by a mute servant. Against all odds, they made it to the next town. Miraculously, the servant recovered her ability to talk, and told everyone about the evil husband. In thanks, Elvira (the wife) had the church built. Its name Cantamuda refers to the servant girl (the mute sings!).

    Since my hostal did not open until two, I decided to take my chances with the weather and head up on the trail with my pack. I was extremely fortunate, not a drop fell till I was a few minutes out of town. Even in bad weather, the views are extraordinary.

    When I got back to town, my Hostal had opened. I am the first peregrina of the year. And then, the thunderstorm started. It was ferocious and lasted a good 90 minutes. Now it’s just raining steadily. I am so glad to be warm and dry. My room has a warm radiator, which will be turned off at around seven tonight. But by then my shoes will have dried!

    My lunch was nothing fancy-garbanzos, followed by a Palencia version of cachopo. Dessert was the best— locally made sheep milk yoghurt with local honey.

    Very short stage tomorrow, so I can try to outwit the storms. They tell me the forecast is somewhat better.

    My tracks.

    https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/cervera-d…    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds
    1I climbed up there yesterday!
    114211

    Short beautiful dry (almost) day

    May 10 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    Cantamuda to Camasobres
    13.5 km, 600 m

    https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/san-salva…

    When I went to bed last night at about nine, there was one good thing and one bad thing. The good thing was that the heat was still coming out of the radiator; the bad thing was that it was thundering and pouring rain. I woke up to loud thunderbolts several times during the night. When I woke up this morning, no rain, but a very heavy cloud cover.

    Just like yesterday, the forecast said no rain till the afternoon. I set off with no illusions about the weather, hoping to make the very short day without too much rain.

    I arrived at my destination well before noon and was delighted to find that there was someone inside the Posada where I am staying. I am once again the only guest, but there is a restaurant downstairs so I will not starve.

    The walk was quite beautiful — every now and then the sun would pop out from behind clouds. After all that qrain, I had expected much more mud and puddles than I encountered. I walked through some beautiful squishy green meadows, with lots of spring flowers. Through a lot of cattle grazing country and always those shear rocks all around. I’m sure there are higher peaks that were hidden because of the cloud cover, but what I could see was really beautiful.

    My plan for the day had been to leave my pack at the Posada and takeoff on a circular hike to a local peak. But it really doesn’t look too promising. The weather forecast shows some improvement in the afternoon, so I will be ready to go on a moment’s notice.

    Before I left my pensión, I made a firm decision that I wasn’t going to obsess about the rain, that I was just going to walk and enjoy what came my way. And I did. And I also decided that I’m not going to fret about the longer term forecast . At least not until I get caught outside in a thunderstorm!    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds
    213Chicken cannellini

    Nap + Walk + Shower + Dinner = happy

    May 10 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

    Since I didn’t sleep so well last night, when I lay down for “a few minutes“ it was about an hour and a half. When I woke up, the sky was gray, but it wasn’t raining. I decided to try a local trail I had on Wikiloc, but when I headed out, it looked like I was heading straight into dark clouds. So, I decided to walk a bit on tomorrow’s trail, to get to a mirador over mountains stretching back into the Picos. I knew the odds were that there wouldn’t be a good view, but hey, I’m here to walk, aren’t I?

    The walk was beautiful and off trail, but the meadows on this walk were much more saturated than the ones I had walked through this morning. And once or twice, I just had to walk in water over my shoes.

    The rain started after about 4 km, and I had another kilometer or so to get to the lookout point. It was gray and raining when I got there. A tour bus was just pulling away, and a car pulled into the lot while I was admiring the view. He came up to me and said: “¡Te vas a mojar!”🤪

    On the way back to my Posada, it stopped raining, and the sun actually came out.The meadows, the flowers, the water everywhere, it was just beautiful. Makes me so glad to be alive.

    WhatsApp videos from all the family reminded me that today is Mother’s Day in the US. It was a nice way to end this day.

    10.5 km, 450 m
    https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/mirador-d…    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds
    4113I hate it when there's nowhere to go around.23At the top is such an exhilarating feeling.1He 81, she 75, and they grow all their own food1Nice place, El Hoyal

    Getting close to Santo Toribio

    May 11 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    Camasobres to Pesaguero
    19 k, 300 m

    Peña Porrera from Pesaguero,
    11.5 km, 700 m

    https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/pesaguero…

    There were a few patches of blue in the sky when I woke up, the first in a long time. I left later than usual, so that the sun would have a little more time to rise up behind those clouds. There were a few patches of blue, but nothing promising a sunny day.

    I surprised myself on my way back to the mirador. I actually remembered all the tough spots with all the flooded tracks, and was able to navigate without even soaking my shoes. When I got back to the high point, there was a little sun. Better than when I was there yesterday in the rain! Snow covered mountains in the distance, with some very nice views in all directions.

    The next 10 or so kilometers were gently sloped downwards, all in a beautiful forest. And the last five or so kms were alongside the Río Bullón. The water was running fast and loud, lots of beautiful waterfalls. Beautiful, easy walking.

    I got to my Hotel El Hoyal about noon, a very nice place in a town of about 20. Luckily they have a restaurant and serve dinner. After checking in, having a snack, and sitting down for a while, I looked at my Wikiloc alternatives for the afternoon. After discussing it with the hotel owner, I chose the tracks that would take me up and back to a peak from which the entire Liébana Valley can be seen.

    It was a pretty strenuous ascent, about 700 m over a little more than 4 km. I wasn’t sure I would make it, which was another reason why the out and back made sense – I could turn back at any point. But I made it! It’s such an exhilarating feeling to get to the top. Even with some cloud cover, it was spectacular. All the little villages nestled in the valley. So picturesque.

    On the way down, I stopped and talked with a couple out working in their garden. They grow just about everything you can think of, and even have fruit trees and grape vines. The señora told me that they have more than enough vegetables for the entire year, and a very big freezer!

    I had a lot of Wikiloc meltdowns today, so all that I was able to save was the way up to the peak. Since I went down on the same way I came up, losing those track is no big deal. I’m not sure what happened to my stage tracks, but it’s easy to find good tracks for the stage on Wikiloc.

    No rain today, other than a few minutes of drops here and there. I’m hoping my good luck will stick with me tomorrow when I get into the real mountains. But the forecast looks pretty grim.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds

    To the monastery

    May 12 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Pesaguero to Potes to Santo Toribio to Potes
    28 km, 650 m (another Wikiloc fail- not sure how I am messing up)

    Another beautiful walk, though I would say that almost half of it was on (very untraveled) roads. Cloudy with a few small patches of blue, no rain. Today I walked through all those little villages I saw yesterday from above. Like most of these small Spanish rural places, there are some houses that are magnificently restored, some that are basically maintained, and some that are in ruins or at least boarded up.

    There was one more Romanesque church that I really wanted to see. I was lucky enough to find the Señora with the keys to the spectacular church at Piasca. It is all that remains of what was once a large mixed monastery (housing both nuns and priests). The 12C capital depicting the adoration of the Magi is widely considered to be the most beautiful romanesque capital in Cantabria. There are two exceptional doorways, both with well preserved carvings. In addition to the main door, there is a side entrance direct from the nuns’ living quarters into the church. I’m so happy that someone told me to knock at the door right next to the church. At first, the husband was kind of grouchy and told me it was closed, but his sweet wife came to the rescue and opened it for me.

    Since the Santo Toribio monastery is closed from 1 to 4, the best option was to check into my hotel, do a little shopping for food, and then walk out in the afternoon.

    I walked out to the monastery and got my lebaniega. It always seems to close the circle when I finish a camino, though I don’t do anything with these certificates. I also spent some time in the chapel with the reliquary (maybe wrong word) holding the true cross. Layer upon layer of myth for me, but it is still a sacred space for many, and I try to respect that. And it’s always nice to sit in quiet, contemplating those unanswerable big questions.

    The historic center of Potes is really beautiful, but it has seen the onslaught of mass tourism. Geegaws galore, and if you can believe it, I saw cheap flamenco dresses for sale!

    Now that I am in the mountains, the question is not so much rain as it is cloud cover. There is not one peak visible from town. And the forecast for the next four days is exactly the same. If I had time to wait it out, I would. But the choice is either to walk or jump ahead. Since I will not be up in any of the high mountains, there won’t be any danger, but it will probably be cold and with nothing to see. I’ve attached a picture taken this afternoon from the WebCam at the top of the teleférico. Not pretty.

    The question for me is – is it better to walk through the mountains with little or no view of the mountains or not to walk through the mountains at all? I will take it one day at a time.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds
    3121

    To the monastery

    May 12 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Pesaguero to Potes to Santo Toribio to Potes
    28 km, 650 m (another Wikiloc fail- not sure how I am messing up)

    Another beautiful walk, though I would say that almost half of it was on (very untraveled) roads. Cloudy with a few small patches of blue, no rain. Today I walked through all those little villages I saw yesterday from above. Like most of these small Spanish rural places, there are some houses that are magnificently restored, some that are basically maintained, and some that are in ruins or at least boarded up.

    There was one more Romanesque church that I really wanted to see. I was lucky enough to find the Señora with the keys to the spectacular church at Piasca. It is all that remains of what was once a large mixed monastery (housing both nuns and priests). The 12C capital depicting the adoration of the Magi is widely considered to be the most beautiful romanesque capital in Cantabria. There are two exceptional doorways, both with well preserved carvings. In addition to the main door, there is a side entrance direct from the nuns’ living quarters into the church. I’m so happy that someone told me to knock at the door right next to the church. At first, the husband was kind of grouchy and told me it was closed, but his sweet wife came to the rescue and opened it for me.

    Since the Santo Toribio monastery is closed from 1 to 4, the best option was to check into my hotel, do a little shopping for food, and then walk out in the afternoon.

    I walked out to the monastery and got my lebaniega. It always seems to close the circle when I finish a camino, though I don’t do anything with these certificates. I also spent some time in the chapel with the reliquary (maybe wrong word) holding the true cross. Layer upon layer of myth for me, but it is still a sacred space for many, and I try to respect that. And it’s always nice to sit in quiet, contemplating those unanswerable big questions.

    The historic center of Potes is really beautiful, but it has seen the onslaught of mass tourism. Geegaws galore, and if you can believe it, I saw cheap flamenco dresses for sale!

    Now that I am in the mountains, the question is not so much rain as it is cloud cover. There is not one peak visible from town. And the forecast for the next four days is exactly the same. If I had time to wait it out, I would. But the choice is either to walk or jump ahead. Since I will not be up in any of the high mountains, there won’t be any danger, but it will probably be cold and with nothing to see. I’ve attached a picture taken this afternoon from the WebCam at the top of the teleférico. Not pretty.

    The question for me is – is it better to walk through the mountains with little or no view of the mountains or not to walk through the mountains at all? I will take it one day at a time.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds
    21I know not to get between mama and her babies112113View from my room

    Mud, clouds, and mountains

    May 13 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Potes to Espinama
    26,6 km, 1200 m

    Things were gray and chilly when I left Potes this morning. At the last minute, I changed my route, because on careful inspection, I saw that the tracks I had planned to follow stayed on the road an awful lot. So I found a better but longer one with almost all off-road walking. It meant returning to the monastery, which I had not planned to do, but it did give me another couple hundred meters of ascent!

    The route was really lovely, most of the time either next to a roaring river or in a lovely forest, or both.

    I even ran into two different sets of people walking in the opposite direction, so that made for some good chitchat. One was a Dutch couple walking around for a week in no particular direction (though they have walked many Caminos). Somehow the discussion turned to world events and US politics, and then, as we said goodbye, the man said to me— remember, you can walk in peace. So true.

    The second encounter was a big group of about 20 from the US walking with a Spanish guide and doing bits and pieces of different Caminos. No discussion of politics! Just Camino chitchat.

    I walked through a few little villages I remembered from the last time I walked this route, and the tourist focus has increased a lot. What was once a little cheese maker village was now a place with six or eight lovely restored old homes to rent. I have to say it would be a great part of Spain for a hiking base!

    And then, finally at about 1:30, when I was nearing my destination of Espinama, I saw blue sky and sunshine through the trees. And yes, there in front of my eyes, were some of the mountains!

    I decided to continue onto the next little village, which I remembered as being beautifully positioned in front of some peaks. Since it was sunny, and I had nothing to do at my destination except wash clothes and shower, a few more kilometers seemed like a good idea. Defying the weather forecast, the sky was blue with white clouds and many of the peaks, though not all, were visible. It had not rained at all!

    I certainly did not expect to see any mountain peaks today, and it was a special surprise for me. Just one day at a time.

    https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/potes-mon…    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds
    View from my room last night
    Yummy Espinama restaurant1511

    For Sabine

    May 13 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    My “most foodie” friend. I have never gotten a bad restaurant recommendation from you. If you come to this part of the Picos, you would love this place, I think.

    Of course, I was the only one there at 8 PM!

    Goat cheese salad was great. I know the meat looks like your standard “filete con patatas.” I don’t eat much meat, but I thought a high dose of protein was in order. It was delicious, from their own herd of Tudanca cattle, with a little blob of sauce made from local cheese and beef broth. I was very satisfied!

    And then she tempted me with dessert, which I thought was a good reward for my 1000 m of elevation gain today! I went for the fig ice cream.

    Time for bed. If all goes well, it will be the Senda da Remoña tomorrow.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds
    1Only dry place for a snack111

    In the parador

    May 14 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    My pack was a little lighter today, because I was wearing every piece of clothing I had with me. I did not bring warm clothing, since the temperatures had been so mild this year. I survived with smart wool socks on my hands and all the rest of my clothing on my body. Temperature was 34 F when I started out.

    My plan today was to walk something like a circle, with the midpoint being the Pandetrave lookout at about 1500 m, 4500 ft. I left a little after 7:30, hoping that things would warm up with the sunrise. Cloudy with patches of blue, and all went fine for about the first 6K.

    I had remembered that there are a lot of cattle and horses on this trail, and my memory was accurate! At one point I came to what looked like a standoff between the horses and the cattle, with neither group letting the other pass. I started slapping my sticks together and singing Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, and the horses turned around and left me only with a line of cattle to deal with. Lots of the cows moved, but there was just one bull that just stood there and stared at me. No matter what noise I made or what I said or sang, he was not going anywhere. So I finally gave in and took a detour up a muddy hill to go around him. But at all of the other animal encounters, I’m happy to say that there were no issues. Clacking sticks and singing loudly has worked like a charm, except for that one bull.

    Soon after, it started to rain a little harder, and then the wind started to blow a little harder, and then it started to snow. As you might imagine there was absolutely no visibility.

    When I got to the high point, I switched to a different Wikiloc trail that was going to take me on a loop back to the start of the trail. I followed it for about 20 minutes and decided it was just too muddy and too plowed up to make a good walking surface. So I retraced my steps, and walked back down the thousand meters to the turn off for the Parador. My treat at the end of this slog!

    I’m sure my family thinks I’m nuts for doing this, but I am bound and determined to prove to myself that I can still climb 1000 m without suffering. No suffering today, just disappointment.

    Tomorrow it looks like things get even worse, with the temperatures below freezing and snow, rain, and a mixture are all in the forecast. I was supposed to take the cable car up to a different high point. Then I would have 27 km all downhill. I have decided, after a lot of mental back-and-forth, that I am going to skip this stage and head back to Potes, where I started what was supposed to be a glorious four day walk in the Picos. If only I could wait four or five days…… I’ve never bailed on a stage before, but I’m sure it’s the right decision, albeit a sad one! Seeing a Guardia Civil rescue squad bringing someone down today also gave me food for thought.

    From Potes, I will continue “backwards” on the Vadiniense, and when I hit the coast in San Vicente de la Barquera, I will head east (backwards) on the Norte. Hoping to make it to Santander.

    21 km, 1100 m

    https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/espinama-…    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds

    Camino Magic

    May 15 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 5 °C

    I woke up this morning to snow outside my window, and I was very glad I was not going to ascend another thousand meters to start walking.

    There’s no public transport until July, so a taxi was my only choice. The talk turned to Spanish politics and I once again heard a lot of anger-about corrupt politicians who bring in immigrants and give them housing and a stipend in exchange for votes, anti-globalization, corrupt politicians. I have heard this from at least 5 people I’ve talked to on this Camino. I don’t think I’ve been walking in a particularly right wing part of Spain, but I’ve heard more discontent with the PSOE than I’ve ever heard.
    And not just discontent, real anger.

    When I got down to Potes, I decided that maybe I could walk a few kilometers north, just to get my feet moving. There is an albergue about 9 kms from here, and the hospitalero told me to come on up.

    It was a beautiful walk, mostly on asphalt but on untraveled roads. I got to the albergue around 3 and heard a lot of noise inside. Nine peregrinos sitting around the table waiting for lunch. All of course are going in the opposite direction. I was invited to sit down, and from there on the party started.

    We had a great paella lunch, and then the local cheese maker paid a visit and took us down to his place. We had delicious cheese and wine, and I was sorry that I couldn’t carry any in my pack.

    Then came dinner, and then a visit to the farm whose cows gave the milk for the cheese maker.

    Miki is a hospitalero who would be in the camino hall of fame if he were on a traveled camino. He takes excellent care of his peregrinos and loves what he does.

    It was one of those intense camino experiences, making immediate connections with people and enjoying life together. I had no idea when I started out today, that this would be such a joyful day.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds
    12133111

    Camino Magic

    May 15 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 2 °C

    I woke up this morning to snow outside my window, and I was very glad I was not going to ascend another thousand meters to start walking.

    There’s no public transport until July, so a taxi was my only choice. The talk turned to Spanish politics and I once again heard a lot of anger-about corrupt politicians who bring in immigrants and give them housing and a stipend in exchange for votes, anti-globalization, corrupt politicians. I have heard this from at least 5 people I’ve talked to on this Camino. I don’t think I’ve been walking in a particularly right wing part of Spain, but I’ve heard more discontent with the PSOE than I’ve ever heard.
    And not just discontent, real anger.

    When I got down to Potes, I decided that maybe I could walk a few kilometers north, just to get my feet moving. There is an albergue about 9 kms from here, and the hospitalero told me to come on up.

    It was a beautiful walk, mostly on asphalt but on untraveled roads. I got to the albergue around 3 and heard a lot of noise inside. Nine peregrinos sitting around the table waiting for lunch. All of course are going in the opposite direction. I was invited to sit down, and from there on the party started.

    We had a great paella lunch, and then the local cheese maker paid a visit and took us down to his place. We had delicious cheese and wine, and I was sorry that I couldn’t carry any in my pack.

    Then came dinner, and then a visit to the farm whose cows gave the milk for the cheese maker.

    Miki is a hospitalero who would be in the camino hall of fame if he were on a traveled camino. He takes excellent care of his peregrinos and loves what he does.

    It was one of those intense camino experiences, making immediate connections with people and enjoying life together. I had no idea when I started out today, that this would be such a joyful day.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds
    1111

    La Casuca del Perdón

    May 16 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    It was one of those memorable camino experiences, nothing you can plan for, something that just happens.

    Miki, the hospitalero of this small Albergue, puts his heart and soul into it. Think Bodenaya on the Primitivo for a good comparison. He makes a mean paella, I think every day, and then a few hours later serves dinner. Way too much food, my favorites were the zucchini purée and the homemade french fries. Other things on offer were lentils, a Spanish tortilla, and a plate full of meat. Vino de la casa, and for the intrepid, homemade orujo de miel.

    Miki has a story similar to Alex’s in Bodenaya. He was burned out with a boring job, and took over this albergue on a whim. Four years later, he can’t imagine doing anything else.

    Miki’s friend Marta and her 14-year-old son Leo came over from their house, located a few valleys over from this one. They had snow up to their knees when they left to come visit Miki. I really enjoyed talking to both of them, very cool people. They live in a town with six residents. Marta teaches design online with Valencia’s distance learning university. Her son Leo gets picked up on Monday morning and taken to Potes, where he spends the week in high school and sleeps in the Hogar Escuela. He then comes home for the weekend. He was very engaged with all of us old folks, and and asked me a little questions about the United States.

    The cheese maker Pedro, is quite a character. He had something to do with the filming of a Heidi movie, that was filmed in this area. I really didn’t follow all the details. But he is a showman with his cheeses. He came up to the albergue after lunch, and packed seven of us in his little van. He took us to the place where he makes the cheese, and we could eat cheese and drink more red wine. The cheese was terrific. One of the Spanish women who was having her suitcase transferred by Taxi every day, bought about 5 kg of it to bring back to Málaga. It was really quite exceptional.

    After dinner, we all walked a couple of kilometers over to the farm where Pedro gets his sheep milk and cow milk for his cheeses. It was a small herd of about 20 cows, and we got there just as the Farmer was scooping out the poop from the barn.This is something he has to do at least twice a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. He was chatty and proud of both the cows and sheep.

    It was after 11 before I went to bed, but breakfast was at 8:30, so I got plenty of sleep. The idea was that I would walk with the group for about a kilometer and then they would point me in the direction of a shortcut to the Camino. Everything worked fine except the shortcut, and I wound up coming all the way back into town and going out on my GPS tracks.

    I don’t imagine I’ll be in touch with these guys much, but we had a great time together, a few heavier, conversations, and a lot of fun. And we do have each other‘s contact information, so you never know.

    But Miki’s albergue really deserves a shout out. Without him this stage just wouldn’t have been so special.    Read more

  • Laurie ReynoldsCamino Lebaniego CastellanoLaurie Reynolds
    1

    Short distance, long day

    May 16 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Cabañes to Cicera, 14.5 km, 850 m

    It was after 10 when I left the albergue with my 8 new friends. That’s what happens when you have breakfast at 8:30! The idea was that we would all walk together for a kilometer or two, and then I would turn off to intersect with my “backwards route” at the river. Well, that didn’t work, and I couldn’t see a direct way to intersect with my Wikiloc tracks. So I just went back up to town and started over.

    It was a beautiful walk, mountains everywhere, lots of kilometers alongside a beautiful river with lots of gushing white water, and then a good 800+ meter ascent to get the heart rate going.

    But before that ascent came the beautiful church Santa María de Lebeña. Pre-Romanesque, Mozárabe. Beautiful capitals and horseshoe arches, and an even older slab carved with the sun and some other designs.

    The descent to Cicera slowed me down a lot. Lots of moss-covered rocks, mud and puddles all over the place, lots of opportunities to slip and fall. But it was a beautiful forest filled with lovely ferns.

    The albergue get here gets pretty bad reviews, and the only place in town left with rooms was a pretty pricey hotel rural.

    Two more days till I’m up at the coast. And then I will walk on the coast for a few days, but my time is slipping away here on this Camino.

    https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/cabanes-t…    Read more

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